Latest news with #2024CorruptionPerceptionIndex
Morocco World
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Germany Approves Extradition of Ex-Raja President Boudrika to Morocco
Doha – After months of legal proceedings, Germany has officially approved the extradition of Mohamed Boudrika, former president of Raja Club Athletic Casablanca and ex-parliamentarian, to Morocco. The German Justice Ministry granted the extradition request following the rejection of Boudrika's appeal by the German Constitutional Court. According to DW Arabia, the Hamburg prosecutor's office confirmed that 'what remains now is only the actual execution of the handover of the wanted person to the Moroccan authorities.' Boudrika has been detained in a Hamburg prison since his arrest on July 16, 2024, at the city's airport following an Interpol alert issued at the request of Moroccan authorities. The German Constitutional Court dismissed Boudrika's constitutional complaint on April 4, utilizing its legal prerogative to reject the appeal without providing detailed justification. 'The Constitutional Court decided on April 4, 2025, not to accept the constitutional complaint for consideration,' the Court stated in response to an inquiry from DW Arabia. The former Raja president faces several serious charges in Morocco, including 'issuing checks without financial balance, fraud and scam,' as reported by local Moroccan press. Boudrika had previously been stripped of his parliamentary status by Morocco's Constitutional Court. The Hamburg Regional Court confirmed to Le360 that the extradition request had been deemed admissible, with the Federal Office of Justice approving the decision. While the exact date of Boudrika's transfer to Moroccan judicial authorities remains unspecified, sources indicate the extradition 'should not be delayed.' Boudrika's case represents part of a broader pattern of corruption allegations against Moroccan parliamentarians. Over thirty Moroccan parliamentarians currently face charges ranging from misappropriation of public funds to influence peddling, with some even accused of drug trafficking. Despite Morocco's 2011 constitution establishing governance mechanisms to enhance transparency and strengthen regulatory bodies, corruption continues to burden the country. The North African country has fallen two places in Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), now ranking 99th out of 180 countries with a score of 37/100, indicating a continued regression in the country's anti-corruption performance over recent years. This decline is costing the country between 3.5 to 6% of its GDP annually — approximately MAD 50 billion ($5 billion). At the time of his arrest, Boudrika was traveling to Hamburg to meet with then-head coach Josef Zinnbauer in hopes of convincing him to continue his tenure with Raja. In March 2024, the Ain Sebaa correctional court had already sentenced Boudrika in absentia to a one-year suspended prison term and a fine of MAD 232,500 ($23,250) for issuing checks without sufficient funds. Tags: GermanyMohamed BoudrikaRaja Casablanca
South China Morning Post
14-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Philippines election hopeful's LGBTQ woes spark debate on voter focus
A senatorial candidate touted as an opposition bet in the Philippines ' coming midterm elections has faced widespread criticism among progressive voters for her conservative stance on same-sex marriage. Advertisement The controversy surrounding Heidi Mendoza, a former United Nations undersecretary general and ex-state auditor, has sparked discourse on the issues that voters should prioritise to increase headway for independent candidates. Mendoza is not among the top 12 candidates in pre-election surveys, yet she gained traction among progressive voters for her platform on anti-corruption and as a viable opposition choice in tipping the balance in the country's legislative branch. Out of 24 senators, only two belong to its minority bloc, including opposition senator Risa Hontiveros, who has led Senate inquiries on crimes linked to Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) . There will be 12 Senate seats up for grabs in the coming polls. The Philippines ranked 114th out of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perception Index, with named the country as among the region's 'significant decliners' in 2021 and 2022. Heidi Mendoza pictured with then-UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon (right) in 2015, when she was sworn in as the United Nations' undersecretary general for internal oversight services. Photo: United Nations
Morocco World
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Moroccan Government to Compile List of Suspected Money Laundering Associations
Rabat – The Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi, announced on Wednesday that the government is compiling a list of associations suspected of laundering money. Morocco has fallen two places in global think tank Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), now ranking 99th out of 180 countries with a score of 37/100, indicating a continued regression in the country's anti-corruption performance over recent years. Ouahbi noted that no concerns have been raised against Transparency International (TI) and they remain unaffected by this investigation despite an ongoing government-level disagreement. During a session in the House of Representatives , Ouahbi addressed concerns raised by Justice and Legislation Committee members. 'With the exception of Transparency [International], with whom we have a government-level disagreement but no specific concerns, we are currently preparing a list for potential transmission to the public prosecutor,' stated the minister. Ouahbi confirmed that the list, which could potentially be forwarded to the public prosecutor, is being compiled carefully. In his statement, Ouahbi pointed out the need for individuals whose declared income does not align with their accumulated assets to justify the source of their wealth. 'Those who own villas and cars without declaring their income…isn't that money laundering?' warned the minister. The minister clarified that the proposed amendments to the Moroccan criminal code would introduce measures to monitor tax declarations and pursue legal action against individuals making false statements. 'Should we conduct this fight in a Stalinist manner, imprisoning everyone before identifying the innocent, or should we follow a legal approach, respecting the presumption of innocence until the guilty are identified?' Transparency International's latest ranking, released on Tuesday, shows Morocco losing one point from its 2023 score of 38/100. The index uses a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 indicates high corruption levels and 100 represents complete integrity. Despite the declining ranking, Morocco reports progress in its domestic anti-corruption initiatives. Government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas announced in January that 76% of the objectives outlined in Morocco's National Anti-Corruption Strategy have been achieved. Tags: Abdelatif OuahbiAnti-Corruption in Moroccomoney laundering
Voice of America
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Voice of America
VOA Russian: Russia hits record low in fighting corruption, global report says
Russia has hit a record low in the newly released 2024 Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International. It occupies the 154th place out of the 180, the lowest placement for the nation in the history of the index. VOA Russian spoke to the head of Transparency International in Russia, Alyona Vandysheva, who said the collapse of the Kremlin's anti-corruption efforts shows the negative impact the war in Ukraine has had on Russia's government sector. Click here for the full story in Russian.
